On April 17, the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) opened an official docket requesting comments from patients living with acute and chronic pain about their perspective on the benefits and harms of opioid use as well as their experiences with nonopioid medications and nonpharmacological treatments for pain. The CDC is also interested in the perspective of caregivers, family members, and health care providers of patients living with pain.
By: Mia Maysack
How are we able to go about pursuing or even simply believing in the concept of wellness, while attempting to cope with the opposite of being well?
At a physical therapy appointment a few years back, I met with a provider who used to experience debilitating pain himself after an accident. He’d since become pain-free and had a certain arrogance, as if he’d cracked the code, so I looked forward to working together.
In our recent survey, when asked “What resources would be most helpful to you right now,” a majority of you responded that you need help handling the added stress and anxiety of COVID-19.
With that in mind, we’d like to share details about an upcoming Zoom webinar: “Finding balance during crisis: Tools from a pain psychologist” on Monday, May 4, at 7 pm ET, with pain psychologist Shamin Ladhani, PsyD.
Have you participated in our email-writing campaign asking policymakers to ensure patients with pain have access to care?
We’re asking that state and federal officials take steps to:
- ensure telehealth copays cost no more than in-person visits,
- exempt patients who are high-risk from required in-person appointments,
- require insurers to cover 90-day supplies of medications
And more.
It takes just a minute to take participate! Simply click the link below, enter your address information, review the template, and hit send. You’re welcome to make edits to the note–it always helps to add a bit of your personal story.
U.S. Pain’s Pediatric Pain Warriors Program has announced its latest special events and programming for this week:
- Storytime with Rapunzel (a Disney character actress!) on Thursday, April 23, at 7 pm ET
- An interactive physical therapy session with Alyssa Dickens, PT, on Saturday, April 25, at 2 pm ET
They also are continuing to offer group meetings for teens, moms, and dads. Please note that all events require advance registration–click the images below to sign up.
We’re also continuing to host #PedsPainWarriorSpiritWeek over on our Facebook page, with fun daily prompts.
MIDDLETOWN, CONN., APRIL, 16, 2020 – Without adequate telehealth, individuals with chronic health issues face a difficult choice: receive in-person care and put themselves at risk of COVID-19, or deal with increased symptoms and worsening health. This and other findings are part of a report released today by the U.S. Pain Foundation, the largest nonprofit for the 50 millions Americans who live with chronic pain.
To help support you during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pediatric Pain Warrior Program is offering a variety of events (both educational and fun!) and interactive group meetings, including:
- A parents Q&A with Alyssa Dickens, a pediatric physical therapist today, April 14, at 7 pm ET
- A Facebook takeover concert with musical duo Arbour Season on Thursday, April 16, at 7 pm ET
- A Zoom meeting for teens every Wednesday at 7 pm ET
- A Zoom meeting for moms every Friday at 8 pm ET
- A Zoom meeting for dads every other Sunday at 7 pm ET
Please join us! Click on the images to register. All events except the Facebook takeover with Arbour Season require advance registration.
We’re also continuing to host #PedsPainWarriorSpiritWeek over on our Facebook page, with fun daily prompts.
By: Janet Jay
With the explosion of COVID-19 and widespread social isolating, many people are using telemedicine appointments for the first time. “Telemedicine” may sound intimidating, but really, it simply means conducting your appointment over the phone or an online videoconferencing service. Whether you’re directly looking for a telemedicine appointment or have been offered one as a substitute for an in-person consultation, you should contact your insurance company to make sure they cover it and if there are any out-of-pocket costs.
With the constant stream of information about COVID-19, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction.
Tomorrow night at 7 pm ET, you’re invited to a Zoom webinar designed to give you an evidence-based understanding of COVID-19 and its impact specifically on people with chronic pain.
Our esteemed speakers are:
- Ed Bilsky, PhD, Provost, Chief Academic Officer, and Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences
- Meghan May, PhD, Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of New England
Dr. Bilsky focuses on chronic pain, while Dr. May is an expert on infectious disease.
By Mia Maysack
A loved one recently used the word “suffering” while expressing their thoughts on my situation. Yes, it does feel like agony at times, but I no longer embrace that word as a part of my personal terminology, therefore, I affirm that by making it known to others.
How can anyone know what our wants/needs are unless we convey them?
Furthermore, how do we go about conveying something we ourselves might not even know??